“Light Novel”, Light Novel (Japanese: ライトノベル Raito noberu), abbr. ラノベ (light novel) or ライノベ (rainobe) are Japanese novels with illustrations whose main target audience is teenagers and young adults. The term "Light Novel" comes from the English. light (light, simplified) and novel (novel), literally mean “light novel” and are an example of wasei-eigo, a Japanese term made up of English words.
The style of illustrations in light novels resembles frames, but the volume of illustrations relative to the text is very small, so light novels are classified as prose, considered the equivalent of a youth story. The works are often adapted into manga or anime series. The books are published in a pocket format with “postcard” size pages of 10.5x15 cm), and are also published in parts in literary magazines such as Dragon Magazine, The Sneaker, Dengeki HP, or mixed content magazines: “ Comptiq" and "Dengeki G's Magazine". A well-known example of "light novels" is "Slayers" by Hajime Kanzaki, which was later adapted into a manga and an anime.
Light novel works have gained wide popularity in Japan, and publishers are constantly looking for new authors, for which they organize annual competitions, the winners of which, in addition to cash prizes, receive the right to publish their book. The largest of these competitions, Dengeki Shosetsu Taisho, involves more than two thousand authors annually. The number of authorized translations of light novels into foreign languages is small due to low demand and a significantly larger volume of translated text compared to manga.
Since light novels are aimed primarily at a youth audience, this determines some of the features of their design. The books are published in a small format, contain color illustrations made in the same style as images in manga and anime, the text is usually typed in a larger font (compared, for example, to the text of newspapers or “adult” books). Many hieroglyphs are equipped with furigana, which, in addition to its direct purpose, is sometimes used to give words other, non-standard readings (for example, in the light novel “To Aru Majutsu no Index” a considerable number of words, including the title of the work itself, were “revoiced” in this way). The writing style is often characterized by short (one or two sentences) paragraphs and copious use of dialogue. These features are designed to facilitate quick reading of light novels.
However, it would be a mistake to perceive light novels only as a slightly more “wordy” variety of manga. The typical structure of a light novel is a few color illustrations at the beginning, followed by 200-400 pages of text, with only occasional black and white pictures. In this case, one page of text looks approximately as shown in the figure (in this case, it is a page from the first volume of the light novel “Spice and Wolf”). In a literary translation into Russian, the page text will be approximately 1500 characters. The volume of works as a whole is also very significant. For example, the already mentioned first volume of Spice and Wolf, in an amateur translation into English, includes 65,485 words. The first volume of Zero no Tsukaima is 39,705 words. For comparison, Clive Lewis's famous novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe contains 37,467 words in the original. Thus, in its structure and volume, a “light novel” is, rather, a novel, albeit with certain stylistic features, and not a story, and certainly not a short story.
And science fiction to horror), characterized mainly by a fantasy plot, an abundance of dialogue, illustrations in the style of anime and manga, and aimed mainly at teenage and young adult audiences.
The works are often adapted into manga or anime series. A famous example of a light novel is Slayers by Hajime Kanzaki, which was later adapted into a manga and an anime.
Structure
Since light novels are aimed primarily at a youth audience, this determines some of the features of their design. The books are published in a small format, contain color illustrations made in the same style as images in manga and anime, the text is usually typed in a larger font (compared, for example, to the text of newspapers or “adult” books). Many hieroglyphs are equipped with furigana, which, in addition to its direct purpose, is sometimes used to give words other, non-standard readings (for example, in the light novel “To Aru Majutsu no Index” a considerable number of words, including the title of the work itself, were “revoiced” in this way). The writing style is often characterized by short (one or two sentences) paragraphs and copious use of dialogue. These features are intended to facilitate quick reading of the light novel.
However, it would be a mistake to perceive light novels only as a slightly more “wordy” variety of manga. The typical structure of a light novel is a few color illustrations at the beginning, followed by 200-700 pages of text, with only occasional black and white pictures. In this case, one page of text looks approximately as shown in the figure (in this case, it is a page from the first volume of the light novel “ Spice and Wolf”). In a literary translation into Russian, the page text will be approximately 1500 characters. The volume of works as a whole is also very significant. For example, the already mentioned first volume of “Spice and Wolf”, translated into Russian, includes 48,873 words. The first volume of Zero no Tsukaima, unofficially translated into English, is 39,705 words. For comparison: the famous novel by Clive Lewis “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” contains 37,467 words in the original. Thus, in its structure and volume, a “light novel” is, rather, a novel, albeit with certain stylistic features, and not a story, and certainly not a short story.
" - Japanese neologisms formed from English words processed according to the meaning, the term comes from the English. light(light) and novel(novel).
In the Russian language you can also find variants of transliteration of its reverse borrowing - the Anglicisms “light novel (l)”, “light novel” and “light novel”. Since the word “novella” in Russian means a story, the use of such false tracing paper is fraught with confusion associated with the substitution of concepts.
Light novels have gained widespread popularity in Japan since the 1980s. Publishers are constantly looking for new authors, for which they organize annual competitions, the winners of which, in addition to cash prizes, receive the right to publish their book. The largest of these competitions - “Dengeki Shosetsu Taisho” - more than two thousand authors participate annually. The number of authorized translations of light novels into foreign languages is small due to low demand and the incomparably larger volume of translated text compared to manga.
The books are published in a pocket format with “postcard” size pages of 10.5×15 cm), and are also published in parts in literary magazines such as “Dragon Magazine”, “The Sneaker”, “Dengeki HP”, or magazines of mixed content: “ Comptiq" and "Dengeki G's Magazine".
The works are often adapted into manga or anime series. A famous example of a light novel is Slayers by Hajime Kanzaki, which was later adapted into a manga and an anime.
Structure
Since light novels are aimed primarily at a youth audience, this determines some of the features of their design. The books are published in a small format, contain color illustrations made in the same style as images in manga and anime, the text is usually typed in a larger font (compared, for example, to the text of newspapers or “adult” books). Many hieroglyphs are equipped with furigana, which, in addition to its direct purpose, is sometimes used to give words other, non-standard readings (for example, in the light novel “To Aru Majutsu no Index” a considerable number of words, including the title of the work itself, were “revoiced” in this way). The writing style is often characterized by short (one or two sentences) paragraphs and copious use of dialogue. These features are intended to facilitate quick reading of the light novel.
However, it would be a mistake to perceive light novels only as a slightly more “wordy” variety of manga. The typical structure of a light novel is a few color illustrations at the beginning, followed by 200-400 pages of text, with only occasional black and white pictures. In this case, one page of text looks approximately as shown in the figure (in this case, it is a page from the first volume of the light novel “ Spice and Wolf”). In a literary translation into Russian, the page text will be approximately 1500 characters. The volume of works as a whole is also very significant. For example, the already mentioned first volume of Spice and Wolf, in an amateur translation into English, includes 65,485 words. The first volume of Zero no Tsukaima is 39,705 words. For comparison: the famous novel by Clive Lewis “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” contains 37,467 words in the original. Thus, in its structure and volume, a “light novel” is, rather, a novel, albeit with certain stylistic features, and not a story, and certainly not a short story.
Examples of "light novels"
This is an incomplete list of the most famous works that were originally released as light novels, but then could be adapted into anime or manga.
see also
- Albert Robida - French artist who created similar illustrated novels
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Notes
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- (Japanese)
An excerpt characterizing the Light Novel
- What you? What happened?- There is nothing…
- Very bad for me?.. What is it? – asked the sensitive Natasha.
Sonya sighed and did not answer. The Count, Petya, m me Schoss, Mavra Kuzminishna, Vasilich entered the living room, and, having closed the doors, they all sat down and sat silently, without looking at each other, for several seconds.
The count was the first to stand up and, sighing loudly, began to make the sign of the cross. Everyone did the same. Then the count began to hug Mavra Kuzminishna and Vasilich, who remained in Moscow, and, while they caught his hand and kissed his shoulder, he lightly patted them on the back, saying something vague, affectionately soothing. The Countess went into the imagery, and Sonya found her there on her knees in front of the images that remained scattered along the wall. (According to family legends, the most expensive images were taken with them.)
On the porch and in the courtyard, people leaving with daggers and sabers with which Petya had armed them, with their trousers tucked into their boots and tightly belted with belts and sashes, said goodbye to those who remained.
As always during departures, much was forgotten and not properly packed, and for quite a long time two guides stood on both sides of the open door and steps of the carriage, preparing to give the Countess a ride, while girls with pillows, bundles, and carriages were running from home to the carriages. , and the chaise, and back.
- Everyone will forget their time! - said the countess. “You know that I can’t sit like that.” - And Dunyasha, gritting her teeth and not answering, with an expression of reproach on her face, rushed into the carriage to redo the seat.
- Oh, these people! - said the count, shaking his head.
The old coachman Yefim, with whom the countess was the only one who decided to ride, sitting high on his box, did not even look back at what was happening behind him. With thirty years of experience, he knew that it wouldn’t be long before they told him “God bless!” and that when they say, they will stop him two more times and send him for forgotten things, and after that they will stop him again, and the countess herself will lean out of his window and ask him, by Christ God, to drive more carefully on the slopes. He knew this and therefore more patiently than his horses (especially the left red one - Falcon, who kicked and, chewing, fingered the bit) waited for what would happen. Finally everyone sat down; the steps gathered and they threw themselves into the carriage, the door slammed, they sent for the box, the countess leaned out and said what she had to do. Then Yefim slowly took off his hat from his head and began to cross himself. The postilion and all the people did the same.
- With God blessing! - said Yefim, putting on his hat. - Pull it out! - The postilion touched. The right drawbar fell into the clamp, the high springs crunched, and the body swayed. The footman jumped onto the box as he walked. The carriage shook as it left the yard onto the shaking pavement, the other carriages also shook, and the train moved up the street. In the carriages, carriages and chaises, everyone was baptized at the church that was opposite. The people remaining in Moscow walked on both sides of the carriages, seeing them off.
Natasha had rarely experienced such a joyful feeling as the one she was experiencing now, sitting in the carriage next to the countess and looking at the walls of an abandoned, alarmed Moscow slowly moving past her. She occasionally leaned out of the carriage window and looked back and forth at the long train of wounded preceding them. Almost ahead of everyone, she could see the closed top of Prince Andrei's carriage. She did not know who was in it, and every time, thinking about the area of her convoy, she looked for this carriage with her eyes. She knew she was ahead of everyone.
In Kudrin, from Nikitskaya, from Presnya, from Podnovinsky, several trains similar to the Rostov train arrived, and carriages and carts were already traveling in two rows along Sadovaya.
While driving around the Sukharev Tower, Natasha, who was curiously and quickly examining the people riding and walking, suddenly cried out in joy and surprise:
- Fathers! Mom, Sonya, look, it’s him!
- Who? Who?
- Look, by God, Bezukhov! - Natasha said, leaning out of the carriage window and looking at a tall, fat man in a coachman’s caftan, obviously a dressed-up gentleman by his gait and posture, who, next to a yellow, beardless old man in a frieze overcoat, approached under the arch of the Sukharev Tower.
- By God, Bezukhov, in a caftan, with some old boy! By God,” said Natasha, “look, look!”
- No, it’s not him. Is it possible, such nonsense?
“Mom,” Natasha shouted, “I’ll give you a beating that it’s him!” I assure you. Wait, wait! - she shouted to the coachman; but the coachman could not stop, because more carts and carriages were leaving Meshchanskaya, and they were shouting at the Rostovs to get going and not delay the others.
Indeed, although already much further away than before, all the Rostovs saw Pierre or a man unusually similar to Pierre, in a coachman's caftan, walking down the street with a bowed head and a serious face, next to a small beardless old man who looked like a footman. This old man noticed a face sticking out of the carriage at him and, respectfully touching Pierre's elbow, said something to him, pointing to the carriage. For a long time Pierre could not understand what he was saying; so he was apparently immersed in his thoughts. Finally, when he understood it, he looked as directed and, recognizing Natasha, at that very second, surrendering to the first impression, quickly headed towards the carriage. But, having walked ten steps, he, apparently remembering something, stopped.
Natasha’s face, sticking out of the carriage, shone with mocking affection.
- Pyotr Kirilych, go! After all, we found out! It is amazing! – she shouted, holding out her hand to him. - How are you? Why are you doing this?
Pierre took the outstretched hand and awkwardly kissed it as he walked (as the carriage continued to move).
- What's wrong with you, Count? – the countess asked in a surprised and compassionate voice.
- What? What? For what? “Don’t ask me,” Pierre said and looked back at Natasha, whose radiant, joyful gaze (he felt this without looking at her) filled him with its charm.
In the world of Naruto, two years flew by unnoticed. Former newcomers joined the ranks of experienced shinobi at the rank of chunin and jonin. The main characters did not sit still - each became a student of one of the legendary Sannin - the three great ninjas of Konoha. The guy in orange continued his training with the wise but eccentric Jiraiya, gradually ascending to a new level of combat skill. Sakura became the assistant and confidant of the healer Tsunade, the new leader of the Leaf Village. Well, Sasuke, whose pride led to his expulsion from Konoha, entered into a temporary alliance with the sinister Orochimaru, and each believes that they are only using the other for the time being.
The brief respite ended, and events once again rushed with hurricane speed. In Konoha, the seeds of old strife sown by the first Hokage are sprouting again. The mysterious Akatsuki leader has set in motion a plan for world domination. There is turmoil in the Sand Village and neighboring countries, old secrets are resurfacing everywhere, and it is clear that bills will have to be paid someday. The long-awaited continuation of the manga has breathed new life into the series and new hope into the hearts of countless fans!
© Hollow, World Art
Swordsman Tatsumi, a simple boy from the countryside, goes to the Capital to earn money for his starving village.
And when he gets there, he soon learns that the great and beautiful Capital is just an appearance. The city is mired in corruption, cruelty and lawlessness that comes from the Prime Minister, who rules the country from behind the scenes.
But as everyone knows, “Alone in the field is no warrior,” and nothing can be done about it, especially when your enemy is the head of state, or rather the one who hides behind him.
Will Tatsumi find like-minded people and be able to change something? Watch and find out for yourself.
Fairy Tail is a Guild of Hired Wizards, famous throughout the world for its crazy antics. The young sorceress Lucy was sure that, having become one of its members, she had found herself in the most wonderful Guild in the world... until she met her comrades - the explosive fire-breathing and sweeping away everything in his path Natsu, the flying talking cat Happy, the exhibitionist Gray , the boring berserker Elsa, the glamorous and loving Loki... Together they will have to defeat many enemies and experience many unforgettable adventures!
18-year-old Sora and 11-year-old Shiro are half-brother and sister, complete recluses and gambling addicts. When two loneliness met, the indestructible union “Empty Space” was born, terrifying all Eastern gamers. Although in public the boys are shaken and distorted in ways that are not childish, on the Internet little Shiro is a genius of logic, and Sora is a monster of psychology who cannot be fooled. Alas, worthy opponents soon ran out, which is why Shiro was so happy about the chess game, where the master’s handwriting was visible from the first moves. Having won to the limit of their strength, the heroes received an interesting offer - to move to another world, where their talents will be understood and appreciated!
Why not? In our world, nothing holds Sora and Shiro, and the cheerful world of Disboard is ruled by the Ten Commandments, the essence of which boils down to one thing: no violence and cruelty, all disagreements are resolved in fair play. There are 16 races living in the game world, of which the human race is considered the weakest and most untalented. But the miracle guys are already here, in their hands is the crown of Elquia - the only country of people, and we believe that the successes of Sora and Shiro will not be limited to this. The Earth's envoys just need to unite all the races of Disbord - and then they will be able to challenge the god Tet - by the way, an old friend of theirs. But if you think about it, is it worth doing?
© Hollow, World Art
Fairy Tail is a Guild of Hired Wizards, famous throughout the world for its crazy antics. The young sorceress Lucy was sure that, having become one of its members, she had found herself in the most wonderful Guild in the world... until she met her comrades - the explosive fire-breathing and sweeping away everything in his path Natsu, the flying talking cat Happy, the exhibitionist Gray , the boring berserker Elsa, the glamorous and loving Loki... Together they will have to defeat many enemies and experience many unforgettable adventures!
University student Kaneki Ken ends up in a hospital as a result of an accident, where he is mistakenly transplanted with the organs of one of the ghouls - monsters that feed on human flesh. Now he himself becomes one of them, and for people he turns into an outcast subject to destruction. But can he become one of the other ghouls? Or is there no more room for him in the world now? This anime will tell about the fate of Kaneki and the impact he will have on the future of Tokyo, where there is a continuous war between two species.
The continent that lies in the center of the Ignola ocean is the large central one and four more - Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western, and the gods themselves look after it, and it is called Ente Isla.
And there is a name that plunges anyone on Ente Isla into Horror - the Lord of Darkness Mao.
He is the master of the other world where all the dark creatures live.
He is the embodiment of fear and horror.
The Lord of Darkness Mao declared war on the human race and sowed death and destruction throughout the continent of Ente Isla.
The Lord of Darkness was served by 4 powerful generals.
Adramelech, Lucifer, Alciel and Malacoda.
The four Demon Generals led the attack on the 4 parts of the continent. However, a hero appeared and spoke out against the army of the underworld. The hero and his comrades defeated the troops of the Lord of Darkness in the west, then Adramelech in the north and Malacoda in the south. The hero led the united army of the human race and launched an attack on the central continent where the castle of the Lord of Darkness stood...
Yato is a wandering Japanese god in the form of a thin, blue-eyed youth in a tracksuit. In Shintoism, the power of a deity is determined by the number of believers, but our hero has no temple, no priests, all donations fit into a sake bottle. The guy in the neckerchief works as a handyman, painting advertisements on the walls, but things are going very badly. Even the tongue-in-cheek Mayu, who worked as a shinki—Yato’s Sacred Weapon—for many years, left her master. And without weapons, the younger god is no stronger than an ordinary mortal magician; he has to (what a shame!) hide from evil spirits. And who needs such a celestial being anyway?
One day, a pretty high school girl, Hiyori Iki, threw herself under a truck to save some guy in black. It ended badly - the girl did not die, but gained the ability to “leave” her body and walk on the “other side.” Having met Yato there and recognizing the culprit of her troubles, Hiyori convinced the homeless god to heal her, for he himself admitted that no one can live long between worlds. But, having gotten to know each other better, Iki realized that the current Yato did not have enough strength to solve her problem. Well, you need to take matters into your own hands and personally guide the tramp on the right path: first, find a weapon for the unlucky one, then help him earn money, and then, you see, what happens. It’s not for nothing that they say: what a woman wants, God wants!
© Hollow, World Art
There are many dormitories at Suimei University Arts High School, and there is also the Sakura Apartment House. While hostels have strict rules, everything is possible at Sakura, which is why its local nickname is “madhouse.” Since in art genius and madness are always somewhere nearby, the inhabitants of the “cherry orchard” are talented and interesting guys who are too far out of the “swamp”. Take, for example, the noisy Misaki, who sells her own anime to major studios, her friend and playboy screenwriter Jin, or the reclusive programmer Ryunosuke, who communicates with the world only via the Internet and telephone. Compared to them, the main character Sorata Kanda is a simpleton who ended up in a “psychiatric hospital” just for... loving cats!
Therefore, Chihiro-sensei, the head of the dormitory, instructed Sorata, as the only sane guest, to meet her cousin Mashiro, who was transferring to their school from distant Britain. The fragile blonde seemed like a real bright angel to Kanda. True, at a party with new neighbors, the guest behaved stiffly and said little, but the newly minted admirer attributed everything to understandable stress and fatigue from the road. Only real stress awaited Sorata in the morning when he went to wake up Mashiro. The hero realized with horror that his new friend, a great artist, was absolutely out of this world, that is, she was not even able to dress herself! And the insidious Chihiro is right there - from now on, Kanda will forever look after her sister, because the guy has already practiced on cats!
© Hollow, World Art
In the 21st century, the world community finally managed to systematize the art of magic and raise it to a new level. Those who are able to use magic after finishing the ninth grade in Japan are now welcome in magic schools - but only if applicants pass the exam. The quota for admission to the First School (Hachioji, Tokyo) is 200 students, the best hundred are enrolled in the first department, the rest are in the reserve, in the second, and teachers are assigned only to the first hundred, “Flowers”. The rest, the “Weeds,” learn on their own. At the same time, there is always an atmosphere of discrimination in the school, because even the forms of both departments are different.
Shiba Tatsuya and Miyuki were born 11 months apart, making them the same year in school. Upon entering the First School, his sister finds himself among the Flowers, and his brother among the Weeds: despite his excellent theoretical knowledge, the practical part is not easy for him.
In general, we are waiting for the study of a mediocre brother and an exemplary sister, as well as their new friends - Chiba Erika, Saijo Leonhart (or just Leo) and Shibata Mizuki - at the school of magic, quantum physics, the Tournament of Nine Schools and much more...
© Sa4ko aka Kiyoso
The "Seven Deadly Sins", once great warriors revered by the British. But one day, they are accused of trying to overthrow the monarchs and killing a warrior from the Holy Knights. Subsequently, the Holy Knights stage a coup d'état and seize power into their own hands. And the “Seven Deadly Sins”, now outcasts, scattered throughout the kingdom, in all directions. Princess Elizabeth was able to escape from the castle. She decides to go in search of Meliodas, the leader of the Seven Sins. Now all seven must unite again to prove their innocence and avenge their expulsion.
2021 An unknown virus "Gastrea" came to earth and destroyed almost all of humanity in a matter of days. But this is not just a virus like some kind of Ebola or Plague. He doesn't kill a person. Gastrea is an intelligent infection that rearranges DNA, turning the host into a terrible monster.
The war began and eventually 10 years passed. People have found a way to isolate themselves from the infection. The only thing that Gastrea cannot tolerate is a special metal - Varanium. It was from this that people built huge monoliths and surrounded Tokyo with them. It seemed that now the few survivors could live behind the monoliths in peace, but alas, the threat has not gone away. Gastrea is still waiting for the right moment to infiltrate Tokyo and destroy the few remnants of humanity. There is no hope. The extermination of people is only a matter of time. But the terrible virus also had another effect. There are those who are already born with this virus in their blood. These children, the "Cursed Children" (Exclusively girls) have superhuman strength and regeneration. In their bodies, the spread of the virus is many times slower than in the body of an ordinary person. Only they can resist the creatures of “Gastrea” and humanity has nothing more to count on. Will our heroes be able to save the remaining living people and find a cure for the terrifying virus? Watch and find out for yourself.
The story in Steins,Gate takes place a year after the events of Chaos,Head.
The game's intense story takes place partly in the realistically recreated Akahibara district, a famous otaku shopping destination in Tokyo. The plot is as follows: a group of friends installs a device in Akihibara to send text messages to the past. A mysterious organization called SERN is interested in the experiments of the game's heroes, which is also engaged in its own research in the field of time travel. And now friends have to make enormous efforts to avoid being captured by SERN.
© Hollow, World Art
Added Episode 23β, which serves as an alternate ending and lead-up to the sequel in SG0.
Thirty thousand players from Japan and many more from around the world suddenly found themselves locked in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Legend of the Ancients. On the one hand, gamers were physically transported to a new world; the illusion of reality turned out to be almost flawless. On the other hand, the “victims” retained their previous avatars and acquired skills, user interface and leveling system, and death in the game only led to resurrection in the cathedral of the nearest large city. Realizing that there was no great goal, and no one named the price for exit, the players began to flock together - some to live and rule by the law of the jungle, others - to resist lawlessness.
Shiroe and Naotsugu, in the world a student and a clerk, in the game - a cunning magician and a powerful warrior, have known each other for a long time from the legendary “Mad Tea Party” guild. Alas, those days are gone forever, but in the new reality you can meet old acquaintances and just good guys with whom you will not be bored. And most importantly, an indigenous population has appeared in the world of Legends, who consider the aliens to be great and immortal heroes. Involuntarily, you want to become a kind of knight of the Round Table, beating dragons and saving girls. Well, there are plenty of girls around, monsters and robbers too, and for relaxation there are cities like hospitable Akiba. The main thing is that you shouldn’t die in the game, it’s much more correct to live like a human being!
© Hollow, World Art
The ghoul race has existed since time immemorial. Its representatives are not at all against people, they even love them - mainly in their raw form. Lovers of human flesh are outwardly indistinguishable from us, strong, fast and tenacious - but there are few of them, so ghouls have developed strict rules for hunting and camouflage, and violators are punished themselves or quietly handed over to fighters against evil spirits. In the age of science, people know about ghouls, but as they say, they are used to it. The authorities do not consider cannibals a threat; moreover, they view them as an ideal basis for creating super-soldiers. Experiments have been going on for a long time...
The main character Ken Kaneki faces a painful search for a new path, because he realized that people and ghouls are similar: it’s just that some literally eat each other, others figuratively. The truth of life is cruel, it cannot be changed, and the one who does not turn away is strong. And then somehow!
In the world of Hunter x Hunter, there is a class of people called Hunters who, using psychic powers and trained in all manner of fighting, explore the wild corners of the mostly civilized world. The main character, a young man named Gon (Gun), is the son of the great Hunter himself. His father mysteriously disappeared many years ago, and now, having grown up, Gon (Gong) decides to follow in his footsteps. Along the way he finds several companions: Leorio, an ambitious medical doctor whose goal is to get rich. Kurapika is the only survivor of his clan, whose goal is revenge. Killua is the heir to a family of assassins whose goal is training. Together they achieve their goal and become Hunters, but this is only the first step on their long journey... And ahead is the story of Killua and his family, the story of Kurapika’s revenge and, of course, training, new tasks and adventures! The series stopped with Kurapika's revenge... What awaits us next after all these years?
The action takes place in an alternate reality where the existence of demons has long been recognized; There is even an island in the Pacific Ocean - “Itogamijima”, where demons are full citizens and have equal rights with people. However, there are also human magicians who hunt them, in particular, vampires. An ordinary Japanese schoolboy named Akatsuki Kojou for some unknown reason turned into a “purebred vampire”, the fourth in number. He begins to be followed by a young girl, Himeraki Yukina, or "blade shaman", who is supposed to monitor Akatsuki and kill him if he gets out of control.
The story tells of a young man named Saitama, who lives in a world ironically similar to ours. He is 25, bald and handsome, and, moreover, so strong that with one blow he can annihilate all dangers to humanity. He is looking for himself on the difficult path of life, simultaneously handing out slaps to monsters and villains.
Now you have to play the game. What kind of game it will be will be decided by roulette. The bet in the game will be your life. After death, people who died at the same time go to Queen Decim, where they have to play a game. But in fact, what is happening to them here is the Heavenly Judgment.
Being an example of “wasei-eigo” - Japanese neologisms formed from English words processed according to the meaning - the term comes from the English. light (light) and novel(novel). In the Russian language you can also find variants of transliteration of its reverse borrowing - which are false tracings of the Anglicisms “light novel (l)”, “light novel” and “light novel”.
Light novels have gained widespread popularity in Japan since the 1980s. Publishers are constantly looking for new authors, for which they organize annual competitions, the winners of which, in addition to cash prizes, receive the right to publish their book. The largest of these competitions - “Dengeki Shosetsu Taisho” - more than two thousand authors participate annually. The number of authorized translations of light novels into foreign languages is small due to low demand and the incomparably larger volume of translated text compared to manga.
The books are published in a pocket format with “postcard” size pages of 10.5x15 cm, and are also published in parts in literary magazines such as Dragon Magazine, The Sneaker, Dengeki HP, or mixed content magazines: Comptiq " and "Dengeki G's Magazine".
The works are often adapted into manga or anime series. A famous example of a light novel is Slayers by Hajime Kanzaki, which was later adapted into a manga and an anime.
Structure
Since light novels are aimed primarily at a youth audience, this determines some of the features of their design. The books are published in a small format, contain color illustrations made in the same style as images in manga and anime, the text is usually typed in a larger font (compared, for example, to the text of newspapers or “adult” books). Many hieroglyphs are equipped with furigana, which, in addition to its direct purpose, is sometimes used to give words other, non-standard readings (for example, in the light novel “To Aru Majutsu no Index” a considerable number of words, including the title of the work itself, were “revoiced” in this way). The writing style is often characterized by short (one or two sentences) paragraphs and copious use of dialogue. These features are intended to facilitate quick reading of the light novel.
However, it would be a mistake to perceive light novels only as a slightly more “wordy” variety of manga. The typical structure of a light novel is a few color illustrations at the beginning, followed by 200-700 pages of text, with only occasional black and white pictures. In this case, one page of text looks approximately as shown in the figure (in this case, it is a page from the first volume of the light novel “ Spice and Wolf”). In a literary translation into Russian, the page text will be approximately 1500 characters. The volume of works as a whole is also very significant. For example, the already mentioned first volume of “Spice and Wolf” translated into Russian